Cherry Red
by Steve's My Mission
Summary: Howard Stark's sister is believed to be dead, but she's more alive than ever. Steve Rogers finds her along side Bucky in Doctor Zola's office, and when she returns she stays... for the next 70 years.
1. Introduction

It was dark when she left the large house, her jacket pulled tightly around her in an attempt to stay warm, her hair was once neatly pinned back and now loose blowing around her face. She had been crying, and her red lipstick was smudged from some random drunk she'd had the displeasure of walking past.  
Another argument with her damn parents, this time in front of her younger brother, he was only six. She, on the other hand, was nineteen. She hadn't had many chances to make memories with her brother, her mother always taking him on holidays with her newest toy boy. Her father was work obsessed, and she knew about the girls he would off with on the long weekends. Giving her time to herself in the large house, she'd often have a few friends over or the occasional party. 

The argument itself was after one party, it was calm and she usually got everything cleared up before they returned but this time they were early and they blew up at her. She remembered her mother saying she was disappointed, her father saying she was a disgrace. Her brother wailing at the top of his lungs. She stormed out after screaming that she hated her parents, that they didn't know her and that they were the real disgrace, married with no love for each other and new love for others every week. That if they didn't love each other then divorce because they don't care about there children anyway.  
Her biggest mistake, because she didn't know those words would be the last thing she said to her parents. She heard in the papers the next day that the house had burnt down, that her brother had escaped to get help from the neighbours while their dad tried rescuing their mother. She had no way to get back to find out what happened to her brother, he was probably with his godfather or with their aunt. She was getting back to her brother, she promised herself. 

The next day, an old lady picked up the news paper her husband bought, frowning at the headlines. 

"What a shame, the poor boy is all alone" she said, her husband nodded in agreement, setting down the paper again. 

'_GIRL GOES MISSING AFTER HOUSE FIRE_: Valerie Stark, 19, is reported missing after fire kills parents, leaving her and Howard Stark, 6, orphans. Police have started the search while Howard Stark is kept by aunt'


	2. Chapter 1

Howard Stark was looking at old family pictures, after living with his aunt Judith until he was 18, she decided now, his age 25, that she would give him a photo album, it was damaged but still in reasonably good condition. He looked through a lot of photos, him... Mother, father, occasionally mother and father, family... He remembered his aunt telling him that one of her favourite photos was missing, he asked how and she smiled, telling him another family member had it. She just didn't tell him what it was. 

Peggy Carter came to him, asking him to fly her and Steve Rogers 30 miles behind the enemy lines so he can save his best friend and the other soldiers, he thought it was crazy, but what's life without a little adventure and a lot of risk? When they started getting fired at he realized just how stupid the plan was, and once Steve was gone he turned the plan around, much to Peggy's protest. 

Next morning, looking up from the photo album after seeing a photo of a woman, there was a commotion outside his cabin. He stood and rushed outside, following where the men were going. Then he saw, Captain Rogers walking back with his best friend, a tank, over 200 men... when he saw who the Captain's friend was carrying, the woman from the book. The book was older than him, and the date on the photo was May 1923. He rushed over with Peggy, and took the girl from the man.  
"What's her name?" He asked  
"I'm not sure" he said, Howard turned and took the woman to a healing tent quickly, before it filled up with men. Calling over a nurse as he set her on a bed, he checked the pockets of the woman's dark grey dress covered in different stains, the bruises and scars on her arms and legs, yet her lips were stained red from blood. Her hair was knotted and frizzy, very long. She looked familiar. 

The following morning, Howard was in the base going through designs of shields with Steve when the receptionist brought in someone to visit Howard, when he saw who, he was surprised. Her skin had regained colour and her hair was no longer knotted, she wore a clean white shirt and light brown skirt, light brown flats. He walked over immediately. He didn't get a chance to speak when she handed a paper to him, it was plain apart from 'page 23 album 4 holder 5' when he turned it over, was a picture of him as a child, age 5, then his dads hand on his shoulder, his dad had his arm around his mothers waist, his mother had linked arms with a young woman... the young woman stood in front of him right now. He had vague memories of that day, he looked at the writing 'Fun time island, Valerie's 18th birthday' his sister is called Valerie, but she went missing after his parents died, assumed dead... unless Hydra took her. He looked up at the woman; she was silent and was watching him intently. 

"You're a relation to Valerie?" he asked, she shook her head and Howard raised an eyebrow. 

"I... I am... I am Valerie" her voice sounded like she hadn't spoken in a long while, the paper dropped from his hand. She looked scared suddenly  
"Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry" 

"No, no just... You should be 31... You look no older than 20" 

"He... H-He did things" she said, starting to tear up. Stark girls were strong, what happened to her must have been breaking. He carefully pulled her into a hug, she was shaking badly but she hugged back. 

"Who did things?" He asked softly, her heard her trying to control her breathing. She didn't answer him for a while; he didn't want to push her for answers. 

"I-I didn't get his name" she said, her voice slowly becoming steadier "he was tall, always wears black leather, he has a fake face and-" 

"Did she say a fake face?" Steve Rogers interrupted, Howard and Valerie looked at him, and Howard was annoyed that he would interrupt his sister, but Steve probably hadn't caught on. Valerie was used to being cut off; she was just waiting for someone to punch her... 

"He had a mask that looked real" she said "I remember first meeting him, he... Touched me" she shuddered; Howard looked angry "I punched him, his skin moved and he just pulled it off... And punched back, you know him?" She asked Steve 

"He's called Johann Schmidt, or Red Skull. He's the leader of Hydra" 

"He touched you?!" Howard said, snapping from his thoughts in an angry manner, Valerie started to back away from Howard quickly, backing into a wall, shaking, sweating, stumbling slightly and holding her neck as she took deep, struggled breaths, her cheeks flushed. 

"Going to kill me, going to kill me" she muttered through breaths, Steve realized she was having a panic attack, he'd had many during. He was quick to make her sit on a desk. 

"Your safe" he said "I need you to do something for me, can you?" He asked, she said a shaky yes "ball your hands into fists, and put them together like this." She said, showing her by putting his two fists together in front of him. She copied instructions.  
"This space between your body and you hands is your safe space; nothing can hurt you in your safe space... Your safe" he said, she nodded, calming slightly  
"Now, think of flowers" he said "Take a deep breath in through your nose, like your smelling the flowers" he said, Valerie took a deep breath in through nose "Now, imagine a dandelion, breath out through your mouth and watch the fluffy things fly away" she breathed out through her mouth "Now repeat" he said, she did, within a few minutes! She was calm again, no longer sweating, shaking, no more struggled breaths. She put her arms down to either side of her, offering Steve a small smile 

"How did you know what to do?" She asked, Howard sitting beside her. 

"I used get attacks like that when I was younger, it's what the lady in the orphanage used to do the help me" he said, giving her a smile in return. Then, a silence, a long, awkward silence. Until Howard cleared his throat 

"Well, Captain Rogers weren't you choosing a shield?" He asked, Steve nodded and walked off back to the area. Howard said he'd be a few minutes. Valerie looked at Howard. 

"Well, this has been interesting" he said, handing her a key "Would you mind waiting for me at my temporary place? Miss Loraine will you show her to my car and tell my driver to take her home?" Howard asked, the blonde receptionist nodded. 

"Of course, if you'll follow me miss...?" 

"Stark, Valerie Stark" Valerie said "Can you just give me two minutes?" She asked, Miss Loraine nodded and, followed by Howard, Valerie walked over to the area Captain Rogers had left to. 

"Mr Rogers?" She caught his attention; he looked up at her, a circle shield on his arm 

"Yes?" 

"I just wanted to say thank you" 

"Your welcome ma'am" he said, giving her a smile 

"I'm Valerie, by the way, Valerie Stark" 

"Steven Rogers, ma'am, friends call me Steve" he said "but you don't have to call me Steve; I mean you can call me Captain or Mr Rogers... Whatever you find comfortable, or maybe just-" 

"Steve?" She said, he looked up from the floor, a bit red, he saw she was smiling at him "I'll see you again soon" she said, she was about to leave. 

"Valerie?" He called 

"Yes, Steve?" She asked, walking a bit further into the area so a few people could get passed. 

"What do you think?" He asked, holding up the shield on his arm, the woman with red lips and curly hair stopped 

"I think it looks-" Valerie didn't get to finish, the woman had picked up a gun and fired three times at Steve, he held the shield up to block the shots, when she stopped, he lowered the shield, looking surprised. 

"I think it works quite well" the woman commented before walking off 

"...I'm going to go before I get shot" Valerie said "and, I must agree with her, it seems to work quite well... Goodbye" she said before walking back to Loraine, who took her to the car almost immediately. 

Howard was staring after Peggy, where as Steve watched Valerie until she left, he looked at Howard 

"I had some ideas about the uniform" he said, handing Howard a bit of paper, Howard continued to watch Agent Carter 

"Whatever you want pal" was Howard's only response.


End file.
